Dead Weight
by JackiLeigh
Summary: Tony is injured on a mission with Ziva. WARNING: Contains Ziva Bashing.


Dead Weight

**AN: Hey Everybody, the episode where Ziva called Tony dead weight bothered me and got my creative juices following. This is what I came up with. Enjoy!**

**WARNING: Contains Ziva bashing.**

Tony had flinched when Ziva said it. It was almost as if he had been slapped. HE was 'dead weight?' She still got her idioms wrong, on occasion. But he was sure she had known what she as saying when she said this.

_'Dead weight, huh? After seven years of partnership, that was what she really thought of him? HE was something SHE had to put up with, drag along behind her? She had to support herself AND him? Was that really what she thought?_

Tony shook his head and the reality of the pain he as feeling brought him back to the present. He pressed his hand against the right side of his chest. He was sure he had cracked ribs, if not broken ones. But that was his concern, if Ziva knew it. It would only prove her point. Tony was the only one of them who had been seriously injured. He had kept his pain and his injury to himself, and had managed to make it back to the plane. He now prayed for unconsciousness. That would be the only way he could make the long flight back to the states without being medicated.

Tony didn't have long to wait, as he had predicted, the turbulence proved to be too much for his injured ribs. In seconds his seat belt, alone, was keeping him upright and in the seat. He had passed out.

Ziva looked at her partner. She could not understand why he was sleeping. He, she thought, had had a restful night. She thought about waking him, but then decided just to let him sleep. It was, after all, a long flight back to the states. Maybe she would rest her eyes also.

NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS

Tony opened his eyes slowly when he felt the plane touch down. He groaned inwardly and gritted his teeth as he stood when they were ready to get off the plane. He and Ziva made it to the company car that was waiting for them in the parking lot. He let Ziva drive, without complaint. He was just hurting too much. If she even noticed this unusual behavior from him, she gave no sign.

They were back at NCIS in no time. Again Tony, trying not to give away his injury, was slow to get out of the car. He nearly cried out in pain as he swung his pack onto his back, and it made contact with, what he imagined, were some pretty angry bruises. Still, he managed to make it from the car to his desk without drawing Ziva's attention.

The ride up to the bullpen was quiet, and, in a way Tony was grateful. He had hoped, though, that Ziva would take this opportunity to explain her comment, or at least, apologize for it. But, that didn't happen.

They exited the elevator, and Tony nearly lost it again when he sat his backpack down on the floor at his desk. He had twisted his body the wrong way. It sent fire across the right side of his chest. He gasped, but managed to cover it with a weak cough. If anyone noticed, they gave no sign. He and Ziva then sat about writing their reports. An hour later, Tony was finished. He had taken about all the pain he could. He had had to stop several times while writing his report. He had to press his hand hard against his side and breathe through the pain.

Tony got up to go to the bathroom. He diverted quickly, deciding to take the elevator to Autopsy.

Gibbs had seen Tony get up. He looked at his watch and realized that 30 minutes had passed, and Tony was still not back. His gut was churning. He got up and started towards the restrooms. But he, too, then took a detour and got on the elevator.

Gibbs walked into the room and had to gasp at the sight before him. Tony was sitting on an Autopsy table. His breathing was harsh and ragged. But Gibbs was unable to take his eyes off the bruises that covered the right side of Tony's chest. They were black and purple and very angry looking. And he hadn't even seen the bruises that covered approximately the same amount of space on Tony's back.

Tony didn't have to look at Gibbs to know he was furious. He could feel the heat radiating from the lead agent.

"DiNozzo! What happened!? What the hell happened?" Gibbs asked as he began to pace trying to calm himself.

Tony opened his mouth to speak. He was quickly silenced by Gibbs as he pulled out his phone and used his speed dial.

"I want you down in Autopsy, right now!" Gibbs said, barely giving the person on the other end time to answer. Then he hung up, giving them no time to respond.

"Jethro…." Ducky began to say.

Gibbs shook his head. "No! This is ending. Here! Today!"

Tony and Ducky just looked at each other, not sure what Gibbs meant.

Ziva walked in moments later. She stared in disbelief at Tony's injuries.

"How?! When?" Ziva asked.

"You didn't know about this?" Gibbs asked, already knowing the answer.

Ziva shook her head.

"Why do you suppose Tony never told you, Ziva?" Gibbs asked.

Again, Ziva had no answer.

"I heard the 'dead weight' comment you made, Ziva. I didn't like it and I should have said something then. But…I hoped Tony wouldn't take it to heart. I hoped he wouldn't have let it bother him. But he did, and I know him well enough…I should have realized that. But I didn't. He…."

"She's angry I'm alive and Rivkin isn't. She's angry you didn't fight for her when she asked you to choose." Tony replied, still in pain. The medication Ducky had given him had not had time to kick in yet. "And she blames all that happened to her in Somalia on me. She wouldn't have been there if it had not been for me."

Gibbs had never told Tony about having to choose. Ziva was surprised, also. Neither had any idea Tony knew.

Ziva shook her head. It was true, she realized, but…. "Why did you not tell me you were injured?"

"What, and prove to you that you were right? I was 'dead weight.' I mean, I was the only one to be injured. It would have just proven your point." Tony replied. "I was able to get myself to the plane. That's all that mattered."

"And if you hadn't made it to the plane?" Ziva asked.

"There was no way I was NOT going to be on that plane." Tony stated.

"But if you had not made it…?" Ziva repeated.

"It wouldn't have been your problem." Tony replied.

"You don't trust me." Ziva looked at Tony, disbelieving.

"Why should I? I have worked with you for 7 years, and all the sudden I'm expendable. I'm something you're having to drag around after you?"

"That's not…I…." Ziva was at a loss for words.

"I cannot work with someone I don't trust and you have proven to me you don't have my six. I just…I can't." Tony slowly and carefully got off the table. He picked up his shirt and Ducky helped him put it on. He then buttoned it and left the room.

Ducky, Gibbs and Ziva all watched Tony leave.

"I can teach you a whole hell of a lot, Ziva." Gibbs stated. "And I have. But I can't teach you what it means to be a part of a team. You're either a team player or you're not. I thought, maybe, after you saw how it worked for us. What the benefits were, you could change your mind. But…it's much too ingrained." Gibbs said shaking his head.

"But…what I said to you… I meant…I still mean…. I…."

Gibbs nodded. "And I am very honored you think of me that way. But you must realize my relationship with Tony. A father should never be asked to choose one child over another. And you asked me to do just that. But you made the choice yourself. You stayed in Israel. It just shows me how much you don't know…how much you don't understand. Maybe Eli could do that. He did do that. He decided things about his children that…that chill my blood. But, I cannot and will not make those decisions."

"Tony was acting on MY orders when he showed up at your apartment. Tony was defending himself when he shot Rivkin. He said Rivkin would have stabbed him with that piece of glass if he had not stopped him. And I believe what Tony said. Tony was the one who initiated the rescue mission to Somalia. He sold the idea to Vance. He...it was him, Ziva." Gibbs replied. "You can believe what you want. But the truth is staring you right in the face. It has been the whole time, and you failed to see it."

Ziva didn't know what to say.

"Tony has done nothing wrong. He acted on orders and intuition. He has had your six the whole time." Gibbs said. "It is just a really, really sad commentary that you can't say the same." Gibbs sighed. "Trying to pit me against members of my own team will not work. It doesn't make me turn against them. It makes me see the faults in you. And I don't need deceptive, manipulative people on my team. I don't need or want anyone with a 'hidden agenda.' As of this moment you are no longer on my team. Director Vance is expecting you. He will be discussing, with you, your future at NCIS."

THE END


End file.
